Cheimatophobia
by beingbored
Summary: Cheimotophobia: the fear of intense cold. Once again, Kafka has managed to display their power by transporting Karoku, Nai, and Gareki to a town in the middle of nowhere. Karoku still doesn't trust Gareki with Nai, causing tension in the group. But, when things go from bad to worse, Karoku finds himself protecting both boys from their worst enemy.
1. Chapter 1

Gareki wandered aimlessly around the halls of the second ship, trying to find something to occupy his time. Normally, he would be with Nai, making sure the kid didn't get into any trouble. Probably teasing him a little, but largely ensuring those freaks at Kafka didn't manage to get to him, again. That was what Gareki would normally be doing. However, there was a slight change in the environment that made it nearly impossible for him to actually do this. That change happened to be named Karoku and happened to have regained all his memories. It wasn't that Gareki was jealous. There was nothing to be jealous about. He used Nai to get him out of the slums. Now that he was here with Circus, there was no reason for Gareki to be seeking out Nai. There was no reason for him to be watching over the stupid animal like he had to before. Nai was just a means to an end.

Only, there was a sense of loneliness that came along with Karoku's recovery. Maybe loneliness was too strong of a word. Boredom was probably better suited for what Gareki was feeling at the moment. He had come to rely on Nai for entertainment. And now that Nai had Karoku, he no longer needed Gareki.

"Gareki!" an annoying and familiar voice called from down the hall. Gareki stepped to the side just as Yogi was ready to glomp him. The idiot landed with a cry on the floor, a tangled heap of limbs. "Why are you so mean?" he asked, crocodile tears streaming down his face. Gareki smirked.

"I wouldn't be if you actually acted your age," he said before continuing his trek down the halls.

"You should try to get in touch with your inner child. Though, for you, I suppose it wouldn't really be inner," Yoga said, jogging to catch up with Gareki.

"I don't feel like messing with you right now. I'm going to see Nai," Gareki grumbled. Yogi's face lit up.

"Oh, he's with Karoku at the moment." Gareki huffed. Of course Nai was. Now that Gareki thought about it, he was almost always with Karoku. It was getting annoying. "I'm sure Nai would like to play with you though," Yogi said, seeing Gareki's look of annoyance.

"I don't want to play with the stupid animal. I'm just bored and need something to mess with," Gareki grumbled.

"Whatever you say," Yogi said with a shrug. He skipped off down the hall, leaving Gareki to finish up his seemingly endless journey.

oOoOoOo

When Gareki finally did manage to find Nai and Karoku, he wasn't surprised to see Karoku patiently listening to Nai talk about something that probably didn't make any sense to anyone with a normal brain. He paused at the door, wondering if he should go in.

"Gareki!" Nai cried out happily, standing up and hopping towards Gareki. "Are you here to play with us?" he asked. Gareki was about to make some sarcastic retort when he noticed Karoku giving him a dirty look. A glare that made it clear that Karoku didn't trust Gareki with Nai.

The man wasn't completely off base with his feelings. Gareki had originally planned to use Nai, knowing that his naiveté would cause the kid to basically do anything Gareki said. But now, it wasn't needed. Gareki had changed and was no longer using Nai like he once had. But Gareki had a feeling that Karoku thought he was too violent towards Nai. Karoku was afraid that Gareki would destroy Nai's innocence or something like that. But someone had to!

Maybe in that forest Nai could continue living like an animal, blissfully unaware of pain and suffering. But now he was in the world of the humans. He would get eaten alive if he continued to think like some lost puppy. Honestly, Gareki was surprised Nai didn't run into trouble sooner on his quest to find Karoku. And, even though there appeared to be two Karoku's running around, one that was good and one that was evil, he was still wary to trust the one on the ship. Something seemed odd about the whole thing, and Gareki wasn't willing to count out the possibility that this Karoku was in on it. Karoku may be completely innocent, but Kafka had ways of infiltrating everything through the simplest of means. It wasn't a far stretch to picture them implanting some sort of tracking device into Karoku or something. Then there was the fact that they apparently managed to transport Nai, Karoku, and Gareki to the middle of nowhere through a cell phone. So, while Karoku didn't trust Gareki not to hurt Nai, Gareki had the same reservations towards Karoku. Gareki had had enough of Karoku's glares and dirty looks, he was going to end this.

"What is your problem with me?" Gareki snapped. Nai stopped talking and looked at him.

"Gareki?" he asked uncertainly. But, Gareki was on a roll.

"Ever since I got here, you've been nothing but cold and spiteful towards me. I'm tire of it." Gareki shouted. Karoku stood up.

"I just don't trust you. I know nothing about you and therefore, you could try to hurt Nai," Karoku said.

"No, Gareki's nice. He wouldn't try to hurt me," Nai said weakly.

"Well how about you. I don't know anything about your past. What if you're the evil one here, not me?" Gareki snapped, ignoring Nai's protests. Karoku narrowed his eyes.

"I don't have to defend myself to you," he said in a low voice. Gareki clenched his fists, trying to calm his anger. This wasn't going to get him anywhere. If he wanted to show that he could be trusted, shouting his defense wasn't the best way to go about that. Then again, why did Gareki have to defend himself against Karoku? Why did he even care? Nai clearly chose Karoku, only cared about Karoku. There was nothing else for Gareki to do here. He didn't even know why he bothered. He turned to leave, there was nothing left for him here.

"Don't run away from me," Karoku growled in a low voice. Gareki whirled around and glared at the man.

"I know when I'm not welcome somewhere. And I'll be damned if I force myself to stay here and listen to you judge me for the way I live," Gareki said. Nai stood up and tugged on Gareki's jacket.

"I like Gareki. I want Gareki to stay," he said quietly. Gareki almost relented right there. There was very little he could deny Nai. He definitely had a soft spot for the animal. But, Nai wouldn't side against Karoku, Gareki knew that. He also didn't want to force Nai to choose between the two. Partially because he didn't want to make Nai do something like that. But also because he didn't want to hear Nai choose Karoku. If Nai chose Karoku, then it would be painful and Gareki wasn't sure he wanted to listen to Nai reject him. So, he did the only thing he was good at, run away before he got hurt. Nai tugged on Gareki's sleeve again.

"I like Gareki. I don't want Gareki to leave," he said. Gareki looked at Karoku, trying to decide if the man was willing to put aside their differing opinions for the sake of Nai. He turned his head and sighed. Gareki took that as a temporary truce and turned away from the door.

"We should play hide and seek. Gareki's good at that game," Nai said, seeming to have forgotten the previous argument between Karoku and Gareki. Maybe he didn't forget it at all, maybe he just wanted to diffuse some of the tension in the room. Whatever the case, Gareki was glad that Nai still seemed to be attached to him. It was a good feeling to have.

"Fine, we can play hide and seek. Just don't leave the ship like the last time," Gareki sighed. He secretly loved playing with Nai. It did help him feel a bit like a careless kid. Maybe it was Nai that did that to him. "Does that sound alright to you?" Gareki asked, turning towards Karoku. The man stood up and sighed.

"I'll count. You hide," he said. Nai smiled and let out a cheer.

"Alright. Gareki and I will hide really well so it takes you a long time to find us," Nai said. He grabbed Gareki's hand and started walking towards the door. He didn't make it very far before his hands went up to his ears and he fell down on the ground.

"Nai!" Gareki cried, following the boy to the ground and catching him before his head hit the ground. Karoku was by his side in an instant.

"Nai, what's wrong?" he asked.

"You idiot, he can't hear you when he's like this," Gareki cried. Karoku glared at him but didn't pick a fight. Instead, he gently moved Nai off of Gareki and onto him. Nai was writhing on the floor in intense pain and Gareki wondered if he should go get help. He decided that was the best thing to do, since he wasn't really any use otherwise.

"I'm going to find someone," he said, making his way to the door. But, he didn't make it to the door. Instead, a bright light consumed the room and Gareki knew what was happening before it even happened. They were being transported to another place. This was likely Kafka's doing and Gareki just wanted to scream. Why couldn't these people just leave Nai alone?

He felt the ground leave from underneath his feet and gave a cry of surprise as he felt himself falling through space. His eyes were squeezed shut and didn't appear to want to open, so he couldn't know if Karoku and Nai had fallen with him. It was very terrifying as he struggled to regain control of his senses. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Gareki's body managed to find the ground. He hit the rocky and cold ground with a thud. The air was knocked from his lungs and for a few minutes, Gareki struggled to make his lungs work. When he finally did manage to pull himself together, he dragged himself to his hands and knees and opened his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

He had landed near a river by the sound next to him. There was a forest nearby, and not much else. Gareki breathed a sigh of relief. He was half-afraid that Kafka's agents would surround them and there would be no way to fight them. He didn't have his gun on him, Nai was particularly useless in a fight, and Karoku didn't seem like the type to be that good either.

Speaking of Karoku and Nai, Gareki looked around, trying to see if he was alone next to this river or not. He was relieved to see Nai was there and appeared to no longer be hearing that horrid sound that made him collapse in the first place. Karoku was also there, but hopefully, he wouldn't try to pick a fight with Gareki. There was a time and a place. This was not that time nor that place. Gareki stood up and brushed the dirt off his knees. Karoku also looked to be trying to regain his sense. He stood up and then pulled Nai up. The kid stumbled a bit but quickly regained hi balance. Gareki breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't appear to be injured or anything. It was good.

"Where are we?" Nai asked, trotting towards the edge of the bank and looking over the edge. Gareki shrugged.

"Some forest. There looks to be a road up ahead. Hopefully, there'll be a town," he replied. Nai sneezed, causing Gareki to roll his eyes. It was the middle of winter and of course Nai wasn't really dressed for the weather.

"I swear, wearing shorts is the worst possible thing you could do this time of year," Gareki mumbled. But he shrugged off his coat and held it out to Nai. Nai smiled and reached to take the coat. But, before he could grab it, the sound of an explosion went off. It was loud and shook the ground with a great deal of force. Nai cried out and both Gareki and Karoku watched in horror as the ground underneath Nai's feet gave way, the kid disappearing into the river.

Gareki didn't waste any time throwing his coat on the ground and running towards the edge of the stream. He saw Nai's white head of hair slip below the surface and jumped in without a second thought. Gareki struggled to grab onto Nai but did finally manage to get ahold of his wrist and pull him back up towards the surface. The river wasn't flowing very fast, but it was cold and Gareki was already starting to feel numb. He had to get them out of the river before they drown or froze to death. He forgot how long it took hypothermia to set in, but he didn't want to find out from experience. Gareki's head broke through the surface, causing him to gasp for air. Nai was limp in his arms, suggesting that he was probably unconscious. Gareki started to panic as the river continued to carry them further down. He didn't see any way of getting out of here. He may actually die here.

oOoOoOo

Karoku stared at the spot where Nai once stood. A blur rushed by him and jumped in the water as well. It only took Karoku a split second to recognize that Gareki had jumped in after Nai. Karoku was frozen in place. He hadn't gotten to Nai in time. He had failed. But Gareki had acted almost instantly. He hadn't hesitated to throw himself in the water and hadn't hesitated to do everything in his power to save Nai. Karoku shook his head and ran towards the edge of the river. Now wasn't the time to blame himself. Now wasn't the time for pity. He had to pull Gareki and Nai out of the river before they drown or froze. He looked over the edge where Nai and Gareki had disappeared and felt his heart sink when he saw that they weren't there. He looked towards the direction of the flow of the river and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Gareki and Nai. Gareki had appeared to have grabbed onto a tree root and was currently trying to climb up the muddy bank. Karoku wasted no time in running over to where they were.

He knelt on the back and reached down, trying to grab Gareki's hand. Nai was hanging there, looking as though he was dragging Gareki down quiet a bit.

"Gareki!" Karoku shouted, trying to get the kid's attention. Gareki looked up and saw Karoku's hand. He wasted no time in grabbing it, letting go of the branch. Karoku hadn't prepared for the two to weigh quiet so much and almost tumbled over from the sudden weight that was being put on his arm. His fingers dug into the soft dirt and Karoku used every muscle in his body to try and pull them back up the bank. Gareki tried to help by pushing up the bank with his feet. However, the loose dirt, made slippery by the water, just caused him to continually slip, never quiet managing to get his footing.

Finally, Karoku managed to heave the pair over the edge of the bank and onto the more stable ground. He didn't waste any time pulling the boys as far from the bank as possible so that there would be no more incidents like this one. Gareki allowed himself to be dragged along, hardly better than dead weight. When Karoku deemed them to be a safe distance he let Gareki collapse to the ground and him to collapse onto his hands and knees.

"Are you alright?" Karoku asked, breathing heavily from all the work he had been doing. He was never one for so much physical labor. He thought, with amusement, maybe he should start training with Circus so that he can actually do things like drag Nai out of a river. Gareki's heavy coughing shook Karoku from his thoughts.

"Just scratched a bit," Gareki managed to finally get out. Karoku looked at the boy, who was now trying to struggle into a sitting position. Karoku placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy now. You don't want to rush yourself too much, you might make it worse." Gareki's opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a heaving cough. So instead, the boy glared at him.

"We have to get to the town. We'll freeze if we're out here," Gareki finally managed to choke out. Karoku frowned. Gareki was right, they had to get to the town. He went over to check on Nai. The boy was still breathing, thank the lord, but he looked paler than normal and was still unconscious. Karoku did a quick body inspection and decided nothing was broken and then turned to do the same for Gareki. Gareki yelped when Karoku gently grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Karoku smiled.

"Making sure nothing is broken. If it is, I have to set it now so that it doesn't heal wrong," he explained. Gareki grumbled something under his breath, only to let out another hacking cough. Karoku was starting to get worried about that. Nai being unconscious was bad enough. If Gareki was ill, that would be a whole other can of worms.

"Do you think you're well enough to walk?" Karoku asked, worried that the kid would keel over if they stayed out here for much longer. Gareki stood up shakily and nodded.

"I'll be fine. Let's just get out of here," he said. Karoku walked over and picked up Gareki's jacket before draping it over his shoulders. Gareki looked at the garment, puzzled by its presence. When his brain finally did manage to figure out what it was, Gareki shrugged it off and tried handing it back to Karoku.

"Give it to Nai," he mumbled. Karoku was starting to get really worried about Gareki. He wasn't shivering, and yet his skin was turning a lovely shade of blue. Karoku shook his head and this time stuck Gareki's arms through the sleeves, zipping it up so that Gareki would have a harder time taking it off.

"I'll be carrying Nai, the body heat will help warm him up," Karoku said. Gareki blinked at Karoku as if his words didn't make any sense. Karoku bent down and gently picked Nai up, making sure he was secure in his arms. Nai wasn't shivering as well. Things were getting worse.

"Come on, we have to get to the town," Karoku said. Gareki nodded and started walking towards the road he had seen earlier. His coughing fits appeared to be getting worse, and Karoku didn't know how far away the town was. This was definitely not his day.


	3. Chapter 3

'I can't believe I failed,' Karoku thought to himself, shift Nai in his arms so that he wasn't slipping. He had failed to do the one thing he promised himself he would always do, protect Nai. He gave up everything to keep him safe. But, when Nai needed to be rescued, it wasn't Karoku that jumped into that water to save him. It wasn't Karoku that stopped him from drowning. It was Gareki. Karoku clenched his jaw at the thought. He never really hated Gareki, he just didn't want Nai to be around such a bad influence. He felt that sometimes Gareki would almost try to taint Nai. Karoku had spent so long trying to keep Nai safe, sheltered. He may be selfish, but it was all he could think of. Nai was perfect to him. Any effort to change him into someone who was world-weary wasn't a noble goal. That is why Karoku didn't want Gareki to be around Nai.

And yet, when it really mattered, when things got bad, it was Gareki that acted. Karoku had stood there, too scared to move. He was frozen in place by what ifs and predictions of life without Nai. Gareki, apparently, did not think such things. He didn't think about what would happen if Nai died in that river. Gareki didn't pause to think about all the bad things that could happen. He just jumped in the river, unwilling to think such things. Karoku had done nothing but stand there. His hesitation almost killed two children. He was a failure.

Karoku felt Gareki fall into him. Karoku almost turned to tell the kid to be more careful when he noticed something was wrong. Gareki hadn't just stumbled into Karoku, he had completely collapsed, on his hands and knees and was coughing violently. Karoku dropped down and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Gareki, I need you to breath." Karoku also noted, with growing fear, that Gareki wasn't shivering. Neither was Nai. Both boys were completely still as if they hadn't fallen into a river in the middle of winter. Gareki coughed so badly that he began dry heaving. Karoku looked widely around. The town was still a little ways up the road. He didn't want to leave Gareki here on the side of the road. Since he was doing his best to cough out a lung and appeared to have hypothermia. Gareki's coughing subsided a tad and Karoku allowed himself to breath a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine," Gareki said, still coughing, though not as violently as before. Karoku shook his head. What was it with people lying about their health?

"You will be as soon as we get to town. I can't carry you, because of Nai, so you need to keep walking," Karoku said. Gareki glared at him.

"I'm not a child. I don't need to be carried," he said, coughing and choking on some spit. He spat on the ground, wiping his mouth before moving to get up. Karoku adjusted Nai so that he could carry him with one arm. His strength was already failing, but now he had to worry about getting Gareki and Nai to an inn.

Gareki managed to stand up only to double over again in a violent coughing fit. Karoku wrapped an arm around Gareki's shoulder and started making their way towards the town. Karoku was very worried. How long had Gareki been like this? And why hadn't he said anything? He shook his head and continued to practically drag Gareki towards the town. Now was not the time to be thinking such degrading thoughts. They were probably the reason why Gareki had suffered for so long in the first place.

They continued down the path, Gareki sagging more and more, his coughing worsening greatly. A few times, they had to stop so Gareki could spit out the bile that had accumulated in his throat. When they finally reached the periphery of the village and could have cried for joy. He started walking faster, looking for anything that looked as though it could be an inn. Gareki was struggling to keep up, but Karoku couldn't help but move faster. They had to get out of the cold if Nai and Gareki were going to last the night. Finally, Karoku's eyes landed on a neon sign that said "Hotel". Karoku stumbled into the hotel. There were a young woman and older man, sitting and looking rather bored. They jumped and looked suspiciously at Karoku and the two boys he practically dragged through the door. Nai flopped limply in his arms.

"Please, they fell in the river. I just need a place to treat them," he said, begging that the pair would give them a room. Gareki doubled over, coughing violently again.

"We only have one room left," the woman said.

"That'll be perfect. Thank you," Karoku said. The man stood up and walked towards them.

"I'll help this one up the stairs," he said in a gruff voice, pulling Gareki away from Karoku. Karoku almost fought him, almost pulled Gareki against him. But, he couldn't fight these people if they really did try to hurt them. Plus, he was having a harder time keep Nai in his arms. He followed the woman and man up the stairs and into the room. He set Nai on the ground next to Gareki and went to the fireplace, quickly lighting it and trying to get the room as hot as possible.

"Gareki, take off your clothing and then do the same with Nai," Karoku commanded.

"I'll go get more blankets," the woman said, running out of the room.

"Is there a store open at this time?" Karoku asked, hoping to get some medicine for the boys.

"There's a 24-hour pharmacy up the road," the man responded. Karoku nodded and turned to Gareki, who was now stripped and working on getting Nai out of his clothes. His hands were shaking badly and his coughing made the task very difficult. Karoku knelt down next to him and took over.

"Gareki, I need to stay awake and try and warm Nai up. You cannot fall asleep until I say so. Is that clear?" Karoku said.

"Who said you could boss me around?" Gareki said, coughing the final few words. Karoku smiled and stood up.

"When you're not in danger of dying, then you can call the shots," he said. Gareki looked as though he wanted to argue, but thought better of it.

"I'll be back in under an hour," Karoku said. He walked out of the door, taking one last look at the two boys who were steadily warming up, before exiting into the hallway. He wouldn't fail, not again.


	4. Chapter 4

Karoku checked to make sure he had everything as he hurried down the road back to the inn. He had found some cough suppressants to help Gareki as well as some sleep aids. He had a feeling the boy would need it if he was going to be coughing all night. He also grabbed some fever reducers and headache medications just in case. He was glad that he always carried around some spare cash. He wasn't exactly sure how much the room was, but he hoped the people would feel charitable and give him a discount.

He turned into the hotel and walked through the door. The man was now sleeping but the woman was still awake. She jumped up and smoothed her skirts out.

"I gave them some soup and water, as well as the blankets," she said. She sounded almost afraid that she had done something wrong.

"Thank you. I'm sure it will help," he said, smiling to help ease her nerves. The girl nodded and led Karoku back up the stairs. She left Karoku at the door, quietly telling him goodnight and that he could come down if he needed anything. Karoku slipped in through the door in time to hear Gareki giving another hacking cough. He had wrapped himself and Nai up in blankets. The heat in the room was sweltering, causing Karoku to feel dizzy. He bent down and touched Gareki's forehead. The boy flinched but made no move to force Karoku off him. Karoku frowned.

"You seem to have a fever building," he said, worried. Gareki coughed.

"I feel cold. Nai's shivering too," he mumbled.

"That's good. That means you're starting to warm back up," Karoku said. "I'll turn down the heat but still keep it fairly high." He didn't want to risk the boys relapsing. He pulled out the medicine and read each label carefully. He decided to give Gareki the cough suppressant and the sleep aid. He poured out the medicine and handed it to Gareki.

"Drink this, it'll make you feel better," he said. Gareki took the medicine, in time for another cough. The medicine sloshed over his wrist and onto the blanket and floor. Karoku sighed and poured more medicine. "Alright, open up," Karoku said, holding up the medicine to Gareki's mouth.

"I can take it myself," Gareki mumbled. However, he opened his mouth and allowed Karoku to pour the medicine down his throat. "It tastes awful," Gareki said.

"It'll help the cough," Karoku said.

"Still tastes bad," Gareki muttered.

"Tomorrow we'll try and figure out where we're at. Then we can see if there's a way to contact Circus," Karoku said.

"We should take a train out. There's bound to be a bigger town, more anonymity. Kafka can find us here," Gareki said. Karoku nodded.

"I'm sure it'll be easier for them to find us if we're here. I don't know if you two will be good enough to move, though," Karoku said.

"I'll be fine. Worry about Nai," he said, the coughing had subsided slightly, much to Karoku's relief.

"Right now, I'll worry about both of you. We have to get some sleep tonight. That will help your body recover," Karoku said. Gareki nodded and moved so that Karoku could pick up Nai. The strength had returned to his arms and he felt as though Nai was too light for his size. He frowned, the ship was stocked with plenty of food, it shouldn't be a problem. Perhaps it was stress getting to Nai. Karoku would have to look into that. He would have to make sure that Nai wasn't in danger of dying because of his environment.

He laid Nai down on the bed and gently covered him with blankets. He turned to see Gareki making something like a nest on the floor. Karoku sighed and walked over to the boy.

"While I'm sure this is comfortable, you should probably sleep on the bed," Karoku said quietly.

"With you, no thanks. I'll be on the floor," Gareki grumbled. He coughed again and curled up on the blankets. Karoku sighed. This one was very stubborn, he decided. He hooked his arms under Gareki's armpits and hoisted him up.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Gareki squawked. Karoku couldn't help but laugh.

"You'll be warmer and more comfortable on the bed. It's big enough for the three of us. Just lay down and go to sleep," he said, depositing Gareki on the bed. Gareki glared at Karoku.

"I've slept in less comfortable places before. One night on the floor won't kill me," he said. But he did nothing as Karoku laid down and began pulling blankets over them. "Besides, I kick in my sleep. You'll wake up with bruises tomorrow," he said. He began coughing again and leaned over the edge of the bed. Karoku rubbed his back and pulled Nai against his side.

"You won't die from sharing a bed with me for one night. Besides, body heat is important if you want to recover from hypothermia. That was quite a bad case you had there," Karoku said. Gareki huffed and crossed his arms, moving towards the edge of the bed.

"I hope you're not a cuddler," he grumbled. "Because I'm not." Karoku reached over to turn off the light.

"Whatever you say, kid," he said, settling down on the bed and closing his eyes. Gareki's coughing made it difficult for him to fall asleep. Karoku felt more useless with each cough. Gareki seemed to have fallen asleep, but his body was still suffering.

"Tomorrow, I'll get you two out of here and somewhere safe," Karoku said quietly. Nai mumbled incoherently and gripped Karoku's shirt tightly. Gareki rolled over onto his side so that he was facing Karoku, his mouth slightly open. Karoku stared up at the ceiling, praying that they wouldn't run into any more trouble. He prayed that he would be able to keep Gareki and Nai safe until they got back to the second ship, and even after that. That was his job, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

When Gareki woke up the next morning, he was lying on his stomach. It was a bit hard to breathe, but he did find it was easier than the day before. He groaned and buried his face into the mattress, only it didn't feel like the mattress he had been laying on the previous night. It felt firmer. Gareki opened his eyes and cursed at the position he was it. One arm was flung over Nai, which wasn't all that embarrassing. Most people knew that Gareki did care for the kid more than he let on. He had been in this position more than once so he wasn't surprised at it. No, the thing that surprised him the most was the fact that he was laying on Karoku. It wasn't the kind of laying that happened because the bed was to small and Gareki needed to either buddy up or roll off. No, he was one-hundred percent cuddled up to Karoku like the man was his favorite blanket or something. That was embarrassing and if the man ever brought it up to any of the Circus agents, Gareki would not hesitate to show him some pain.

"I thought you weren't a cuddler," Karoku said. Gareki glared up at him.

"This is your doing," he grumbled, trying to extract himself from the embarrassing situation. He managed to sit up, only to flop back down once the coughing fit started back up again. He felt Karoku rubbing his back, helping Gareki to finish out the fit in more comfort than if he were doing this alone.

"For your information, you rolled over onto me last night. Clung to me like I was your favorite toy," Karoku laughed. Gareki turned a brilliant shade of red and decided he had enough of the teasing.

"How's Nai?" he asked. Karoku sighed and leaned back on the bed.

"His temperature hasn't risen last night, which is good," he said.

"But?"

"But he still needs more help than I can give him here. This town is too small and both of you are too sick for me to properly care for you with the materials available. We need to get back to Circus," Karoku replied.

"Or we need to get to a bigger town," Gareki said, trying and failing not to cough. Karoku nodded.

"Let's get you some more medicine and then we can head to the train station. It's early so there may not be one leaving for awhile, but we might be able to figure out where we are and what our plan is," he said. Gareki felt himself getting shifted around as Karoku made to stand up. He managed to get himself out from underneath the two boys and slid out of the bed. "Your clothes are dry so that should be more comfortable." Gareki decided he should probably get up as well and tried again to sit up. This time, he didn't fall into another coughing fit. He did, however, regret the decision, as the room was not nearly as warm as underneath the blankets.

"Will Nai be okay to travel?" he asked, trying to distract his brain from the chill in the room. Karoku handed him his clothes and Gareki began to dress.

"He should be fine for now. Even if he wasn't it's not like we have much of a choice. Kafka's probably already looking for us. I'm actually surprised they haven't found us yet, to be honest," Karoku responded. He shoved a bowl of what looked like stew in Gareki's face.

"What do you want me to do with this?" he asked. Karoku rolled his eyes.

"I want you to eat it. The medicine can't be taken on an empty stomach and I don't need you throwing up all over me," Karoku said, sounding as if he were scolding Gareki. Gareki wrinkled his nose but began eating the stew obediently.

"What's worse, the coughing, pain, or nausea?" Karoku asked.

"Coughing, definitely the coughing," Gareki said, choking on the stew as a fresh wave overtook him once again. Karoku pressed some pills into his hand.

"Take these when you're done," he said before turning to Nai. Gareki watched as Karoku carefully poured some broth and water into Nai's mouth before pouring some more medicine into the kid's mouth. Just then, a thought occurred to Gareki.

"What are we going to do about you and Nai?" he asked. Karoku looked at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You guys stand out too much. We need to figure out some way to cover you two up. That way it'll be more difficult for Kafka to find us," Gareki explain. Karoku ran his hand through his hair and looked thoughtful for a minute.

"Well, Nai can probably be wrapped in a blanket. It won't be that hard to hide him. I guess I'll just have to wear a hat, then," Karoku sighed.

"I guess. Just don't draw too much attention to yourself," Gareki shrugged.

"I'm dragging around two sick kids to a train station before the sun comes up. I'm already drawing way too much attention to myself," Karoku said.

"I'm not much younger than you," Gareki cried, a little upset that Karoku saw him as a kid. Honestly, the man wasn't that old. It was just the way he carried himself. Sometimes, Gareki was convinced that Yogi was actually younger than Karoku, and not the other way around. Karoku laughed and walked towards the door.

"Whatever you say. I'm going to check us out and see if this place has a map so we don't get lost. Look after Nai. I'll be back in a bit," Karoku said. He waved goodbye and closed the door on Gareki and Nai. Gareki coughed and looked down at Nai.

"Seriously, what do you see in him?" he asked. Nai muttered something in his sleep and went to grab Gareki's sleeve. Gareki had to admit, there was something dependable in Karoku. It was rather nice having someone he could count on, who was actually mature and handled situations with a relative calm. And he did care for Gareki with the same level of intensity that he did Nai. Maybe the man wasn't so bad after all.


	6. Chapter 6

Karoku came back ten minutes later with a folded piece of paper in one hand and a wadded black cloth in the other hand.

"Martha was kind enough to let us use her father's hat. And she drew us a map," Karoku said proudly, wrapping Nai tightly and ensuring that they had gathered all of their belongings. Gareki let out a snort.

"Did she also give you her number?" Gareki asked. He could have sworn Karoku's ears got a little pinker as he studied the map intently.

"If she did that would be no business of yours," Karoku responded. Gareki smiled. This would be good blackmail material later if Kafka didn't manage to capture them before they got back to Circus.

"Are we all ready to go. Martha said it's only about a ten-minute walk down to the station and there's actually a train leaving soon," Karoku said. He gently lifted Nai up and made his way to the door. Gareki was about to let it go, but the thought of Karoku actually having a girl interested in him was almost too amusing to pass up. Almost.

"Did she also tell you what her favorite flower was? I hear chicks dig that kind of stuff," Gareki snickered. It lost some credibility when he descended into another coughing fit. Karoku's ears turned pink again, though it was harder to see because of the hat he shoved over his ears.

"She did not and I prefer if you would quit talking about this," Karoku said. It was more of a begging sentence than a command.

"It is a little amusing, though. Wait until she finds out what a tightwad you are," Gareki snickered. Karoku managed to elbow him in the stomach lightly. Gareki continued to smile as they passed the front desk.

"I hope they feel better," Martha said. Gareki thought if she tried to bat her eyes any harder the lids would just fall right off.

"Thank you again for all that you've done for us. It could not have been easy," Karoku replied. He didn't seem aware that the girl was trying so hard to flirt with him. She leaned over the desk and smiled at him, batting her eyes even more.

"It was my pleasure," she said. Karoku waved an awkward goodbye since he couldn't give all his hands since he was holding Nai, and stepped out of the door. Gareki trotted after him. Throughout the walk, Gareki was trying to figure out how to best tease Karoku about this. However, nothing was coming to him. He blamed it on the stupid illness that he got when he jumped in after Nai. Stupid illness. This was a perfect opportunity to poke at Karoku and Gareki didn't have any material to work with. To be honest, it was like his entire brain had started to turn to mush. He was having a lot of trouble focusing on anything.

"Are you alright?" Karoku asked. Gareki didn't notice he stopped and ran right into him. He looked at Karoku, trying to bring the man into focus.

"You're fuzzy. Brain's not working," Gareki responded. Karoku shifted Nai and held a hand to Gareki's forehead.

"You're getting warm again. Don't worry, we're almost there and then you can rest some more. The ride to the next town takes a few hours," he said. Gareki nodded and started to stumble down the road again. Karoku had somehow managed to shift Nai so that one arm was steadying Gareki. He must have like three arms or something. Gareki thought to himself, wondering how the hell Karoku managed to carry Nai, who wasn't all that light, walk, and keep Gareki from falling face first into the gravel. An image of Karoku with eight arms flashed into Gareki's head. He chuckled.

"Octopus Karoku," he sniggered. Karoku looked down worriedly at him but said nothing.

True to Karoku's word they arrived at the train station shortly after Gareki's fuzzy adventure. Karoku led Gareki to a bench and leaned Nai against him.

"Stay here. I need to get tickets. Do not move," Karoku said. He looked pretty serious. Gareki had to roll his eyes. It wasn't as if he or Nai were in any condition to actually walk around if they wanted to. Nai was out cold and Gareki was having trouble focusing on anything. There appeared to be four Karokus walking away, instead of just the one.

"Great, just what I needed, four pain in the asses," Gareki grumbled. Karoku turned around and looked back worriedly at the boys. Gareki wasn't coughing as badly, but now he was having vision problems. Nai still hadn't woken up and had barely moved since Karoku had woken up this morning. He didn't want to assume the worst, but he wasn't about to deny that he was worried. HE really needed more help. He needed to keep these boys alive. The man in front of him moved out of the way and started walking towards the train.

"Can I help you?" the cashier asked. Karoku turned his attention back towards the small booth. Inside, a rather large woman sat with a very annoyed look on her face. She did not want to be out here this early in the morning, that was clear. Karoku looked at the timetables before shelling out the money to the woman.

"I need three tickets for the 6:30 departure," he said. The woman typed something into her computer. The machine made a loud whining sound before spitting out three sheets of paper. The woman stamped each one before shoving them out to Karoku.

"Boarding is now. No assigned seats. First come, first serve. The train leaves in five minutes. Don't be late," she said. Karoku thanked her and grabbed the tickets heading back to Gareki and Nai.

"Let's go find some seats," Karoku said. He handed Gareki the tickets and carefully picked up Nai before leading them towards the train. The man on the train barely gave them a second look as he punched their tickets and waved tiredly towards one end of the train. Karoku managed to find an open compartment, though it wasn't hard. There weren't that many people on the train to begin with. He sat Nai down, unwrapping the blankets and propping the boy against his side. Nai mumbled something and turned to curl up next to Karoku. Gareki plopped down next to Karoku, coughing a little in the process.

"You should lay down and get some rest. You don't have to stay awake," Karoku said softly. Gareki rolled his eyes, making his head spin. He groaned and attempted to not get violently ill.

"I don't need you looking after me," Gareki said. He started coughing violently again. Harsh coughs that wracked his frame and made him wonder if any of his lungs were coming up with each heave. He felt Karoku gently rubbing his back again and before he could protest, his head was pushed down onto Karoku's lap. Gareki let out some final weak coughs before he felt his eyes drifting closed.

"I never did thank you," Karoku said. Gareki cracked opened an eye and turned to look at the man.

"For what?" he asked.

"Saving Nai. I froze and wasn't fast enough to pull him out of the water. IF you hadn't been there, there is a good chance that Nai wouldn't be here right now," Karoku said. Gareki turned pink, which was because of his illness and nothing else, and turned back over.

"Yeah, well, if you weren't there I wouldn't have been able to get out of the river," Gareki muttered.

"Are you thanking me?" Karoku laughed.

"Don't let it get to your head," Gareki grumbled. Karoku said nothing but instead began stroking Gareki's hair. It made Gareki sleepy and before he knew it, he had drifted off.


	7. Chapter 7

The train gave a jolt and the wheels started pulling the cars along the track. Gareki had fallen into a light sleep, much to Karoku's relief, and Nai had started to move around some more, also to Karoku's relief. There hadn't been any sign of Kafka yet, which was even better. Karoku still wasn't entirely sure what they were going to do once they got to the next town. However, it was bigger and they could probably contact circus, he knew there were ways to do it in bigger towns, particularly with the police. The problem was avoiding Kafka until they got back onto the ship. There was something about this whole thing that bothered Karoku. This had been the second time Kafka had done something like this, both times Gareki had been dragged along with them. Kafka seemed to have an unhealthy fascination with the boy. Normally, Karoku would have just chalked it up to coincidence. He happened to be around Nai when things happened so naturally he was dragged along. But there was something strange about this, something that told Karoku Gareki was playing a bigger part that he knew. So lost in thought was Karoku, that he didn't notice the door opening and a man slipping in.

"Excuse me?" he said, jolting Karoku from his thoughts. He looked up to see a tall man, mid to late thirties, wearing a crisp suit and staring down expectantly at Karoku.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Karoku asked.

"I was wondering if this seat was taken?" he asked. Karoku narrowed his eyes. There was hardly anyone on the train, why would this man need to share a car if there were plenty others around the train. "I know the rest of the car is almost empty," the man said as if he were reading Karoku's mind. "But this is the closest one to the restroom. Lately, I've been having such terrible stomach issues, and I really don't want to be far from the restroom, should the need arise," the man continued. Karoku sighed and nodded.

"You can have a seat if you would like," he said. Gareki gave another harsh cough and sat up, trying to work his way through the cough.

"Karoku, do you have any more of that medicine?" he asked.

"Sorry, you can't take it again for another three hours," Karoku replied.

"I hate you," Gareki grumbled. Karoku was about to respond when he felt Nai shift against him.

"Karoku?" the kid asked. Karoku could have leaped with joy upon seeing Nai's eyes open.

"Nai, how are you feeling?" he asked. Gareki seemed to perk up upon hearing Nai's voice as well.

"I'm sleepy, and my chest hurts. Where's Gareki?" Nai asked. Karoku ran a hand through Nai's hair, reveling in the fact that the boy was awake and seemed to be pretty cognitive.

"He's right here. He's fine," Karoku said. He wasn't sure if it was an actual lie since Gareki wasn't entirely fine. But Nai more than likely wouldn't realize the difference, since he still seemed pretty out of it. The other occupant cleared his throat. Karoku wanted to yell at the man. He had been sick with worry for almost a day now, ever since Nai had fallen in the river, he didn't need some stranger interrupting this.

"I could take a look at them if you would like. They seem really ill," the man explained. Karoku tightened his hold on the boys.

"I already looked at them. I know what the problem is," he said. Something about this man really rubbed him the wrong way.

"You seem a little young to be a doctor," the man said.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of these guys, if that is was you're implying," Karoku said, trying not to scare Nai or startle Gareki.

"If you really are a doctor then you know as well as I that it isn't good for you to diagnose and care for those you are close to. Your feelings get in the way and you are unable to properly care for them," he said.

"I am doing just fine on my own, thank you for the offer, but I don't need your help," Karoku said.

"A second opinion won't hurt," he said. Karoku had to admit, there was some merit to what the man was saying. He could have easily missed something since he himself wasn't emotionally stable when looking over Gareki and Nai. He was worried, still worried, about their lives. There was a good chance that he had missed something in his initial examination of them. He looked down at Gareki.

"What do you think?" he asked. Gareki shrugged.

"I don't care," he muttered. Karoku sighed and looked down at Nai.

"How about you, would you like him to look you over?" he asked. Nai shook his head.

"Want to stay with you," he muttered. Karoku nodded.

"You can look over Gareki, not Nai," he said. Karoku helped Gareki sit up, coughs occasionally wracking his frame. The man knelt by Gareki and began running a basic examination on him. Every so often he would mutter to himself something, but Karoku never managed to catch any of it. Then, the man stopped and smiled.

"What is it?" Karoku asked, his heart starting to beat harder. The man turned to look at Karoku.

"I just didn't think it would be this easy. I heard you were like a mother bear when it came to Nai, and yet you've allowed me so close to him, and even this child," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Karoku growled. Before he could react, the man reached out and grabbed Gareki, yanking him to his chest and stumbling backward onto the other bench.

"Gareki!" Nai cried. He tried to lunge after Gareki, only to be held back by Karoku. Karoku would have gladly fought the man to release Gareki, only he noticed a gun in his had.

"What do you want?" Gareki cried, trying to struggle out of the man's grip. The man laughed.

"Well, I want Karoku and the animal," Gareki growled at this and Karoku felt a surge of anger. "And I have been instructed to bring them to my boss through any means. But, Kafka also wants you, boy," he said. Gareki stopped struggling, his eyes went wide.

"Why do they want him?" Karoku asked.

"Well, there seems to be a lot of coincidences happening around the kid. First, he's on a ship owned by Kafka and attacked by Circus. Then, his foster family happens to be Kafka lab rats. He breaks into a Kafka agent's mansion and partners up with something Kafka and Circus are both interested in. And finally, he survived your little imaginary world. Only Nai and yourself should have been able to survive that, so why did this kid?" the man asked, sneering as he pressed the gun closer to Gareki's temple.

"I can't answer any of that. Just let him go," Karoku said.

"Oh, I would love to. But I have orders to bring you all here. So, here's what's going to happen. You three are going to sit quietly and behave yourselves for the rest of the ride," he said.

"And if we don't?" Gareki asked.

"Then, I have a frequency transmitter that will cause the animal quiet a bit of pain. After we get to the train station, you will go straight to a car. If you make one move to escape at any point, well let's just say there are lots of fun toys that can cause pain to each and every one of you, depending on my mood," the man finished. Gareki was shoved back towards Karoku, who managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Their luck had just run out. Kafka found them and had every advantage.


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the train ride was tense. Karoku had a very tight grip on both Nai and Gareki, not allow either boy to move so much as a centimeter from his side. Not that it was needed, the man in the train clearly wasn't interested in trying to take either boy from Karoku again. Instead, he sat on his seat, legs propped up, polishing his gun. Karoku knew Gareki was eyeing the transmitter that lay close to the man's side. It was the thing that could cause Nai a lot of pain if the man decided it was necessary.

But Karoku wasn't necessarily focused on keeping the man from torturing anyone, he wouldn't do anything too damaging since Kafka probably had strict orders to deliver the trio relatively unharmed and safe. Besides, both Nai and Gareki were still suffering from the sickness. No, the man probably wouldn't torture Nai or even Gareki. But, Karoku still didn't want to subject either boy to what lay ahead at Kafka. They would probably be subject to horrible tests. Nai would be dissected multiple times, probably the same with Gareki. So, the thing that Karoku was most focused on now was trying to figure out a way to get both boys out of here and away from Kafka. He bit his lip and looked down at Nai. The boy had grabbed his shirt and was clutching it tightly, looking worriedly over at Gareki. Karoku leaned down.

"Don't worry, Nai, we're going to be fine," he said. Nai looked up at Karoku and gave a week smile.

"I know. But, Gareki is pale," he said. Karoku looked over at Gareki. Not only was he pale, but he was shivering and hot to the touch.

"He'll be fine. He's strong," he said, trying his best to assure Nai. It seemed to work as soon Nai relaxed a bit in Karoku's hold. Now, all Karoku had to worry about was getting away. There was a possibility that as soon as they were on the road, the security would lessen. Gareki and Nai were not in any shape to run, but if Karoku could distract and fight for long enough, he might be able to give Nai and Gareki a big enough head start to at least hide until they were safe enough to start looking for Circus. Karoku slumped down in his chair. He didn't want to return to that place. There were no good memories there. They were full of pain and fear. But he would rather be there by himself than with Nai or Gareki. He would not allow either boy to go through what he was forced to go through. That was why he left Nai in the first place, to protect him. The train began to slow down, causing Karoku to sit up straighter. He would protect both Nai and Gareki. He would not fail again.

"Looks like we're here. Remember boys, best behavior," the man said. He stood up and stretched.

"Go to hell," Gareki said, coughing slightly. Karoku would have scolded the boy, had he not been prepared to say the exact same thing.

"Nai, do you think you can walk?" Karoku asked softly. Nai nodded and went to stand up. His legs were a little wobbly at first, but he soon managed to gain his balance. Gareki was very similar. The train slowed to a halt and Karoku wrapped an arm around either boy, following the man out of the train and onto the platform. He stood there, looking around for a minute before smiling and heading towards a black car.

"Come on boys, do keep up. Can't have the boss waiting," he said pleasantly. Karoku carefully lead them towards the car and then helped them get in. The man collapsed against the back of the seat facing Karoku and smiled at them.

"That was more work that I thought it would be. And you even came so nicely," he said. Then, Hirato's form shimmered into focus.

"About damn time," Gareki mumbled. Hirato smiled, the man opened and closed his mouth like a fish.

"Thank you for finding these three for Circus. Without your hard work, it would have made our job much more difficult," he said with a painfully fake smile.

"How did you—" the man gasped. He didn't get to finish his sentence as Hirato made quick work of knocking him out.

"How did you find us?" Karoku asked. Hirato smiled.

"Yogi saw you disappear and we immediately began searching for you. He actually found you on the train but was unsure how many Kafka agents there were and didn't want to put you into any danger. He alerted us, I commandeered the car, and well, you were here for the rest," Hirato said.

"What's going to happen with him?" Gareki asked. Hirato looked down at the man.

"Well, he will be interrogated to see what he knows. Though, it's probably not much. Kafka does a great job about keeping their workers from holding too much information," Hirato said. Gareki opened his mouth to say something else but instead began coughing violently. Karoku managed to ease Gareki's coughing. The boy flopped back onto the seats and groaned.

"Ah yes, Yogi did say you all seemed rather unwell. Dr. Akari is waiting for you at our destination. I'm sure he can give you boys some treatment for whatever is wrong with you," Hirato said.

"I hate you," Gareki finished coughing.

They arrived at an empty field with Ship Two hovering above. Yogi was practically sobbing as he flung himself at Gareki. Gareki didn't have the strength to move but was pleasantly surprised when Karoku stopped him with a whack to the head, leacturing him about how bad it was to stress out sick people. Nai and Gareki were both thoroughly poked and proded by Dr. Akari, the man would not let them go even after Gareki insited he was fine. The only comfort he got was the fact that Karoku would have to undergo a very similar treatment. In the end, he fell into a deep sleep, allowing his body to rid itself of the cough and fever.

Gareki groaned and opened his eyes. He knew he was in the infirmary on the ship. He could tell by the annoying beeping that was coming from one of the machines and the beds. Was it sad that he spent so much time here that he actually knew what the beds felt like. He also knew that Nai was curled up by his side. It happened so often there might as well only be one bed in their rooms. Gareki opened his eyes and wasn't surprised by the fact that Nai was by his side or that he was in the infirmary on an infirmary bed. This didn't surprise him. What did surprise him was the fact that Karoku was in the room as well. He was flipping through a book, sitting by Gareki's bedside. He looked down to see Gareki awake.

"How are you feeling?" Karoku asked. Gareki cleared his throat and shifted so his arm was out from underneath Nai. He couldn't actually feel anything in it. He shook the appendage to see if the pins and needles feeling would stop.

"Much better. How's Nai?" Gareki asked. He felt as if he had had this conversation before.

"Better as well. The fever's gone and he's even woken up a few times," Karoku said. Gareki nodded.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"Only two days. Not very long considering how sick you were," Karoku said, shrugging.

"Oh. Thanks for helping me out back there. I couldn't focus long enough to figure out what to do," Gareki said. He hated that he had to admit he was weak, but Karoku probably had figured out what was going through his head already anyways. Karoku smiled and put the book down.

"Did you really think I was just going to take Nai and leave you to fend for yourself?" Karoku asked. Gareki shrugged.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did." Karoku's smile dropped. "I mean, I get it. Nai needs more protection than me. He's more special anyways. I wouldn't blame you if you did leave me," Gareki admitted.

"Listen, Gareki, as much as I hate to admit this, you aren't a bad kid. I thought I told you that if it hadn't been for you, Nai may not even be here right now. Besides, I would never leave you behind. I was actually planning on staying behind and giving you a chance to grab Nai and run. It was never an option to leave you behind," Karoku explained. Gareki was surpised at how honest the words sounded. He would have never guessed that Karoku's first thought was to save him and Nai. He always just assumed Nai came first, not the both of them. Gareki relaxed into the bed and allowed himself to drift off once more. Before he fell completely asleep, he turned towards Karoku.

"Thanks for looking out for me," he said quietly. He hoped Karoku wouldn't hear it. If he did, he didn't say anything.


End file.
